This article by Riley Atkins, was first published in the March/April 2021 issue of The Chronicle, a publication of Congregation Neveh Shalom Shoshana Bean at age nine was precocious, determined and passionate. No one in her family could have imagined this little girl born in Olympia, WA, but transplanted to her mother’s hometown in Portland in the late 1980s, would one day grace the stages of Broadway. But there were hints. Shoshana would occasionally disappear ... Read More
Have you ever found yourself refusing to hope? Maybe after a big break up or the loss of a job? Perhaps after the death of a loved one?
For most of us, this is a busy day as we finish our shopping and preparations for Pesach. As with last year, our celebrations will most likely be adjusted for this year of pandemic. There’s a way in which we can embrace those changes as a normal part of Jewish history and personal experience.
In my rabbinical school pastoral counseling class, we had many conversations about what is referred to as the “feedback sandwich.” But this isn’t just a way of sharing bad news or adding variety to a narrative. It’s also a reminder that individual actions don’t have to define us; rather, we are the sum of everything we do.
A quick Google search brings up dozens of books entitled “The Calling.” Do all these authors lack sufficient imagination to come up with a creative name for their books? Do they simply recycle a hackneyed title? Probably not.
Our Torah gives us, on the one hand, guidelines for holding moments of joy and, on the other hand, guidelines for holding each other in sorrow. As we pass the anniversary of when COVID-19 changed all our lives, this week's Torah portion about community wholeness is a stark reminder that we are still holding broken pieces, and there’s much work left to be done to make ourselves whole again.
Over the past two weeks, in sermons and here, I have reflected on the pandemic. Topics have included Jewish ethical thinking around vaccinations, and the meaning of this year of shut down. Next week, we will mark a year of being shut down with a ritual gathering. Simultaneously, on Passover we will welcome back small groups of congregants via a sign-up process for services for the first time since the world closed.
